Brigham Young University’s Theatre Ballet Studio Company Follows Alice Down the Rabbit Hole in Their Original Ballet This Fall Semester
Brigham Young University’s Theatre Ballet Studio Company leapt into Wonderland this fall with the debut of “Alice,” an original ballet inspired by Lewis Carroll’s beloved classics “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass.”
The production, built from the ground up, reimagines Carroll’s whimsical worlds through new choreography and striking visuals. Dancer Annalise Woolley, who performed in several ensemble roles, said the project fostered community and collaboration. “We were blessed to receive a grant to fund exciting new production elements like the wonderfully talented student makeup designer, Shaina Romney, from the fine arts department,” said Woolley. “It has been a wonderful collaborative production”
The ballet is the creation of artistic director Hilary Wolfley, who developed the work alongside student choreographers Isabelle Walker and Aubrie Crandall. For Wolfley, the story of “Alice” tackles more than an upside down world — it is a story about navigating identity.
“As Alice moves through Wonderland and encounters the strange and silly creatures therein, she finds herself struggling to understand the fundamental issues we all face: Who are we? How do we fit in and find our place in a world that doesn’t always make sense? How do we learn to act rather than being acted upon?” said Wolfley. “As Alice discovers and exercises her agency, she becomes more self-assured, knowing with increased confidence who she is and how to move through a world that so often feels confusing and difficult.”
The visual world of the production was brought to life by illustrations major Erica Flynn, who was invited to join the creative team after working as a backstage tech manager for the Dance Production Office. With guidance from production designer Erin Bjorn, Flynn created backgrounds that follow Alice from her fall down the rabbit hole to the moment she returns to reality.
To capture the eerie, whimsical atmosphere of the story, Flynn drew inspiration from a classic illustrator. “I have never done a project that requires me to emulate one specific artist — we specifically wanted to emulate Eyvind Earle who did the concepts and background illustrations for Disney in the ’50s,” said Flynn. “I had to sit down to study and copy a lot of his work before I could move into each of my own paintings. While I still tried to add my own ideas and style, his work was definitely a significant influence and taught me a lot about creating stylized environments.”
For many performers, “Alice” opened the door to exploring unexpected sides of themselves. Among them was dancer Jojo McCollum, who found that portraying the Mad Hatter meant stepping into a role out of her comfort zone. “I am used to playing very docile and soft roles, so it was fun to explore a character that has kind of gone mad,” said Jojo McCollum. “It has been difficult to explore that side of a new character, but it has been my favorite experience.”
McCollum said her exploration of character reflects the same spirit of self-discovery she hopes audiences take with them after the performance. “One of the questions the caterpillar asks Alice is ‘who are you?’ and she has to go explore that,” said McCollum. “The story teaches that it is okay to not know exactly who you are. Especially at our age, in college, we are learning to become our own person. The ballet inspires us to find out who we are and be authentic to that.”
